Photo Credit: commission.europa.eu/index_en
Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath raised a number of concerns in the Dáil yesterday during the visit of the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola – to mark 50 years since Ireland joined the EU then known as the European Economic Community.
Deputy McGrath accepted that Ireland has had benefits from 50 years of EU membership but also pointed to the austerity measures imposed by the Troika which he claimed has left housing, education, and health care in a less than satisfactory standard. The leader of the Rural independents also questioned if the EU was taking the right path on climate change measures and asked that EU State Aid Rules be reviewed so that Coillte could avail of EU forestry premiums to develop the industry on behalf of the state. The Refugee crisis was the biggest concern for the Tipperary TD as he accused the government of a lack of planning and claimed the government “is foisting people on communities with no information, and no proper discussion or debate.”
